Acts 16:16-40 is a simple reminder that we tend to look at the world backwards.  We think that our circumstances determine our attitude and outlook.  Think about it, if you have money in the bank, you feel secure.  If you have a nice car, you feel proud.  If your house is impressive, you feel important.  If you have a good job, you feel self worth.  And the reverse tends to be true as well.  When you lose your job, you feel worthless.  If you don’t know how to pay all your bills, you feel stressed and depressed.  If you car, or house, or clothes are not up to your internal measurement of good enough, you feel embarrassed.

On the other hand, Paul had been preaching the word in Philippi, and had just cast out a demon from a little girl.  Next thing he knows, he and Silas had been stripped and beaten, then severely flogged and then thrown in jail.  On top of that, they had their feet put in stocks in the jail cell.  So what did they do?  They prayed and sang hymns to God.  Just what you would have done, right?  I’m pretty sure I would be thinking “okay God, here I am doing your work, and what do I get?  Thrown in jail.  This is so wrong God, are really even there?  How could You let this happen to me?  Don’t you love me?”

Somewhere along the way, we Christ followers have lost the core truth that this world has nothing for us.  We forget that our hope is in Christ, and our hope is in heaven.  Not on earth.  Too many times, we do good, and expect good in return.  When hard, painful, and tragic events happen to us or our loved ones, we are the first to ask “why did this happen to me”?  We spend our lives talking about God, and working for money.  We are so focused on our financial goals, we relegate God to Sunday morning.  For an hour.  And we measure our success in life by what we own.

What if Christ followers boldly turned our collective backs to the world and it’s values, and instead found our value in Christ.  What if we were a people who valued grace, mercy, purity, justice, and love?  What message would we send if we strove to be holy, as He is holy?  And what if we really and truly walked with kindness, gentleness, meekness, and patience?

That perspective would change the world.  Is has before.  It is right now by bold Christ followers around the world.  When we die, we will all face Christ with nothing, or with everything.  Choose wisely and know that the life you live, not the words you say, reflects your real choice.

Grace and peace